Christ and Culture Revisited
Southwestern Journal of Theology
Volume 64, No. 2 – Spring 2022
Editor: David S. Dockery
By R. Robert Creech. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2021, xii+259pp., $26.99
R. Robert Creech puts his study and experience to work in writing Pastoral Theology in the Baptist Tradition.
In the Introduction, he states that the lack of studies on pastoral the- ology from a Baptist perspective was the motivation for writing the book. The book contains twelve chapters divided into four parts. Creech explores the topic of each chapter biblically, historically, and theologically. Finally, using James McClendon’s Baptist vision of “this is that,” Creech hopes to discover, describe, and transform the beliefs and practices of Baptist pastors.
Part one deals with “Becoming a Pastor.” First, he notes that whereas the New Testament uses elder, bishop, and pastor interchangeably, more Baptists have favored the term pastor because of its relational connotations. Second, just as the prophets and apostles were called of God, Baptists have held a clear sense of the pastoral call as a marker of God’s activity in the pastor’s life. Third, Creech contends that Baptists have emphasized ordination as a component of pastoral ministry but have barely articulated a theology for it. To conclude this part, Creech posits that the Bible is equivocal on women in the ministry and admits that historically, Baptists have favored only men as pastors with a few exceptions. Theologically, Creech attempts to argue that women and men can serve as pastors and preachers by appealing to the priesthood of believers and the local church’s autonomy as his grounds.
Part two deals with the pastor’s proclamation. He observes that Baptists have viewed the preaching ministry no differently from the biblical prophets and apostles. He notes that preaching is sacramental as God takes over the physical activity. Akin to this, Creech notes that Baptist pastoral ministry involves an evangelistic “sentness” to the world.
In part three, Creech deals with priestly acts that characterize Baptist pastoral ministry, providing Scriptures and Baptist history to justify his claim. First, Baptist pastors are to administer baptism and the Lord’s Supper, both priestly acts instituted by Christ. Also, they minister priestly care to God’s flock, an action rooted in Scripture and distinct from modern-day psychology. Lastly, Creech notes that at their best, Baptist pastors have been known for the priestly function of making disciples through the commanded means of teaching.
Creech explores pastoral leadership in the final part, examining pastoral authority, shared leadership, and vision casting. He posits that the Bible describes pastoral authority as delegated authority channeled through servant leadership. He notes that Baptists discuss pastoral authority relating it to the interrelationship of ordination and the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. With a clear biblical vision for a shared ministry and the priesthood of all believers, which implies the inherent ministry of every believer, Creech bemoans “clergification” and the marginalization of the laity in Baptist life. Finally, Creech identifies the pastor’s duty to lead the church to discern God’s vision and keep alive hope for God’s promised future.
Robert Creech does several things well in this book. First, his attempt at filling a void is praiseworthy. While the topics he discusses may lend themselves to other traditions, Creech does well to tether these topics to a Baptist worldview. The reader will find the historical sketches included in the book helpful.
Having said the above, a book covering issues of this magnitude cannot but have tension points. Creech’s inclusion of a chapter on “Women in Ministry” is admirable. However, to what kind of Baptist is Creech writing? Southern Baptists? American Baptists? Or Baptists globally? Again, the basis for his egalitarian conclusions lies in the priesthood of all believers. Does the priesthood of all believers equal the “preacherhood” of all believers? Furthermore, if the church is to mirror the family structure as the New Testament describes, should that not inform an understanding of 1 Tim 2:11–13?
A couple of things also beg the question in Creech’s discussion on the ordinances. He suggests, for example, that the disciples on the road to Emmaus were a couple, but he does not provide any argument to support this claim (p. 150). Furthermore, Creech observes that Baptists have failed to reflect on baptism from which their name is derived (p. 145), a point unjustifiable in light of the publication of Thomas Schreiner and Shawn Wright’s book Believer’s Baptism: The Covenant Sign of the New Age in Christ (2007).
Notwithstanding, Creech’s work is a solid beginning for a pastoral theology in the Baptist tradition.
